January 8, 2026
Houston, let's talk more. That's my New Year's resolution.
 | Joy Sewing, Columnist |
I used to believe in the standard New Year's resolutions: lose weight, eat healthy, save more money.
For some people, declaring those intentions is enough to keep them on track for the rest of the year. That never worked for me.
This year, I'm trying something different. My 2026 intention is to stay more deeply connected to my people and my city. I've done a decent job, but life has a way of blurring even the best intentions, especially when you're raising kids. I know there's more I can do.
I want more face-to-face conversations with Houstonians who are in the trenches of daily life and with those who are helping to make it a little easier on their neighbors. I want to listen more to what people here care about - good and not so good - and find ways to tell those stories.
That intention felt especially real during a recent dinner at the incredible ChòpnBlọk on Westheimer with fellow journalist Juan Michael Porter II. A New Yorker in town to produce a podcast on women living with HIV/AIDs, Porter is one of the nation's most knowledgeable journalists covering HIV/AIDs and has been living with the disease for a decade. He's also a professionally trained dancer.
We first met virtually in 2021 through Poynter's Power of Diverse Voices fellowship program and connected instantly like longtime friends. I even interviewed him for a column on how Medicaid cuts could impact HIV-positive Texans.
Our Houston dinner was the first time we met in person. We talked about the state of journalism, the challenges he faces living with HIV and the twists and turns our lives have taken. I shared my joys, fears and exhaustion of raising two kids, and he shared wisdom from his years as an elementary school teacher.
We made an informal pact to stay in touch, not by text, through real phone calls.
There's something about that kind of connection that makes you feel more anchored to the world. Less alone.
What Else I'm Writing
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Good for Houston, Bad for Houston |
✔️ The Good:
ABC 13 honors Melanie Lawson all month
When ABC 13 anchor Melanie Lawson announced she was retiring at the end of January, it felt like Houston's heart sank for a moment. For 43 years, Lawson hasn't just delivered the news in Houston, she's been a part of our daily rhythm, a trusted and steady presence through the city's changes. ABC 13 is celebrating Lawson all month long, revisiting the moments that shaped her extraordinary career.
But her legacy extends beyond TV news. In December, she quietly donated $43,000 (for her 43 years in the business) to the Houston Association of Black Journalists for scholarships, an act symbolic of her passion for the field of journalism and her desire to empower the next generation.
❌ The Bad:
Texas A&M censors Plato and other philosophy teachings
My first college course at a small liberal arts college in Colorado was aptly titled "The Idea of a Liberal Arts Education." In it, we dissected Plato's "The Republic," a cornerstone of Western philosophy that probes the meaning of justice and spurred so many of us that semester to see the world more critically.
Now, Texas A&M University is clamping down on Plato and other philosophy course modules that focus on race and gender. The move is part of the university's effort to ban race or gender ideology "advocacy" in the classroom without a university president's approval. "My personal opinion is this is a clear violation of academic freedom," a Texas A&M professor told the Chronicle this week. History suggests that banning ideas from college classrooms doesn't extinguish curiosity; it only ignites it.
Is there something happening that you think is good or bad for Houston? Hit reply and let me know.
What Else I'm Doing
I can't wait for "Frida: The Making of an Icon" at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Not only am I a devoted admirer of the artist, my time living in Mexico also deepened that passion. I visited her home, Casa Azul (the Blue House), now a museum in Mexico City, and read her letters in Spanish. I hope Houston turns out for the exhibit, which runs from Jan. 19 through May 17.
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